FIRST ON FOX: A conservative law firm has filed two motions to intervene in separate lawsuits seeking to overturn Wisconsin’s congressional maps, arguing that imposing new districts now would violate federal law and the U.S. Constitution.

Last week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority ordered two three-judge panels to take up lawsuits alleging the state’s congressional map gives Republicans an unconstitutional advantage, as redistricting fights intensify nationwide ahead of next year’s midterms.

On behalf of a group of Wisconsin voters, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed motions to intervene this week, arguing the challenges are time-barred and that the newly appointed panel does not have the authority to overrule the state Supreme Court’s earlier decision approving the current congressional lines.

“Revisiting congressional lines this way, less than a year before the election, sows irreparable distrust in our country’s political process,” WILL Deputy Counsel Lucas Vebber told Fox News Digital. “We intervened on behalf of several Wisconsin voters to argue that overturning the current maps in this manner and imposing new ones would violate federal law and the U.S. Constitution.”

REPUBLICANS PUSH BACK OVER ‘FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF RACISM’ IN BLOCKBUSTER REDISTRICTING FIGHT

WILL’s motions dispute the plaintiffs’ characterizations of Wisconsin’s congressional map as a “partisan gerrymander” or “anti-competitive.”

DOJ BACKS TEXAS IN SUPREME COURT FIGHT OVER REPUBLICAN-DRAWN MAP

“These claims are all meritless,” Vebber said, noting first that any challenge to the current map should have been brought when the map was adopted. “And on the merits, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has already determined that partisan gerrymandering is not a justiciable claim here in Wisconsin.”

Vebber said the lawsuits violate federal law by pushing for districts drawn to reflect statewide partisan totals instead of local representation, and by asking courts to assume a redistricting role the Constitution assigns to state legislatures.

He also argued that a court-ordered “mid-decade redraw” would violate the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution, calling it “precisely what the U.S. Supreme Court has advised state courts not to do.”

According to WILL, these motions represent the fourth and fifth time the conservative law firm has defended Wisconsin’s congressional maps in court.

When the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted the state’s current congressional map drawn by Gov. Tony Evers, D-Wisc., in 2022 following the 2020 census, WILL said that should have been “the end to the legal and political posturing until the 2030 census.” 

Instead, the group said that various organizations have repeatedly attempted to challenge the map using “a variety of legal theories.”

As redistricting battles continue nationwide, Texas recently filed an emergency petition with the U.S. Supreme Court after a panel of federal judges blocked the state from using its new congressional map, ruling that several districts were “racially gerrymandered.”

Meanwhile, California voters passed Proposition 50 this year, allowing the state to move forward with a new congressional map expected to create up to five Democratic-leaning districts, in what Democrats say is an effort to counter Republican-backed redistricting efforts in states like Texas.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Missouri and North Carolina have already redrawn congressional lines, and states like Ohio are moving ahead with new maps as redistricting battles play out in courts nationwide ahead of next year’s midterm elections with control of the House and Senate, and Trump’s legislative agenda, hanging in the balance.

MILWAUKEE – We often see our troops in uniform, unaware of how much they physically train to serve the country.

What we know:

As with any test, the grade depends on grit, hard work and preparation. One Army fitness test shows just how demanding that preparation can be, with push-ups that recruits describe as especially humbling.

Tyler Choy, an Army National Guard recruiter, keeps score. He grades each exercise using age, gender and the amount of weight lifted, or the time needed to complete the task.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Choy says recruits must score at least 60 points to pass each challenge, based on how heavy they lift or how fast they move.

“If you’re looking at maxing, you’re looking at 250 pounds. 60 points to pass the test, you’re looking at 140,” said Choy.

The training is meant to prepare soldiers for a wide range of real-world situations.

What they’re saying:

“To make sure that we have the endurance to reflect whatever our job is,” Choy said.

Those jobs can include responding to hurricanes, protests and voting precincts, sometimes in situations that carry potential danger. The deadly attack on Army National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., serves as a grim reminder of the reality of that work.

“I do know that, in the back of my mind, there’s a possibility that could happen, but I have the ability to serve and help other people and that’s what I decided to put above my own interests,” Choy said.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Choy emphasized the importance of endurance and stamina when responding to emergencies or unexpected events.

“Sometimes, in the line of work we do, we need to react quickly and react with a lot of pressure and momentum,” he said.

Big picture view:

He helps build that momentum by training future leaders in the military, even before they ship out to basic training.

“You don’t need to pass this test before going to basic training, but the more we are able to help people prepare for it, the better chances of them passing at basic training,” Choy said.

And with any test, the goal is the same: to be ready to succeed.

VERNON, Wis. – Mechanical failures and staffing shortages slowed snow removal in the Village of Vernon over the weekend, leaving some residents waiting until well after the storm for streets to be cleared.

Plows, fire trucks stuck during storm

What we know:

Several village vehicles – including snowplows and fire trucks – became stuck or broke down during the storm, forcing delays in clearing operations and emergency responses.

Residents contacted FOX6 questioning why Department of Public Works vehicles were not clearing streets during the storm.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

80-year-old Don Anderson said it was nearly a day and a half after the snow stopped before he finally saw pavement on his street.

“Something that was driving that process wasn’t working,” Anderson said.

Village of Vernon Department of Public Works Director Brett Bartels declined to speak on camera but said nine DPW incidents occurred over the weekend in which trucks either became stuck or broke down.

Staffing shortages add to delays

What they’re saying:

Village of Vernon Fire Department Assistant Chief Patrick Hays said one fire truck became stuck three times Saturday while responding to a minor crash on Hillview Drive.

“We got hit and we got hit hard,” Hays said.

Hays said a DPW plow was sent to help but also became stuck, further slowing snow clearance efforts.

“Which created a problem for the rest of the Village and delayed streets getting plowed,” he said.

Bartels said DPW is currently operating with two employees instead of the usual five. He said an on-call snowplow driver position has been posted for about a month, but no one has applied.

Another worrying sign is the village’s proposed 2026 budget, which includes a nearly 47% cut to public works funding.

Village promises review of storm response

Dig deeper:

With more snow on the way, Anderson said he hopes the response improves.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

“I want the Village to do better next time,” he said.

Bartels said his crew worked about 20 hours clearing streets after the storm and does not believe the proposed budget cuts would affect snowplow operations next year.

Village officials said the administrator-clerk posted an update Sunday, stating DPW will work with the Village Board to review the response to the storm.